The NonImprint
by TwilightMommyof4girls
Summary: Bella and Sam form a relationship after Edward leaves. He doesn't imprint on her. Is their love enough? How does it play out?


**I own nothing. I just like to play with the characters that Stephenie Meyer created. :) For anyone who follows my other stories, all of them will be updated in the next two for the delay. **

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"Isabella Swan, I promise to love you everyday of forever," he said, getting down on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" I squealed. "Yes, yes, yes. A million times yes."

I flung myself into his arms, managing to make my graceful fiancé tumble onto his back on the sand. His laughter surrounded us as my cheeks flushed pink.

"I love you so much Bella."

"I love you too Sam."

He placed the small diamond ring on my finger without really changing positions, and I wiggled my fingers happily admiring the way the fading rays of the sun gleamed off my ring.

"It's perfect," I said, pulling my eyes away from the ring to look at my fiancé.

"You're perfect," he said, bringing his lips to mine for our first kiss as an engaged couple.

When we finally came up for air, Sam pulled me to his side, and I nestled into his warmth.

"It's been a year," I said quietly.

"It has," he said, sounding a little more subdued than he had moments ago.

A year. It had been a year since he had found me curled into a ball on the forest floor. A year since the man I thought I would spend eternity with left me without a backwards glance. A year since everything changed.

Changed for the better.

I had been devastated. I felt unloved, unworthy. Not only had the man who had promised me forever abandoned me like I was nothing, the family I had come to love as my own had disappeared too. Without a word. No goodbye. I had tried to follow him, to ask him why. It hadn't made sense. No sense at all. I just needed to know. Needed to be certain.

All that I had managed to do was get myself hopelessly lost. After tripping for the twelfth time I curled into a ball on the forest floor, deciding to stay in one place and wait for someone to find me.

Scared. Alone. Confused. I spent the time thinking of the months I had spent with Edward. All of our perfect memories. All of our plans for the future. How could he have been so quick to throw me away? I had no clue how long I lay there pondering Edward's quick departure. Day had turned to evening and the temperature dropped dramatically. Finally, when the last ray of light had disappeared the tears came. I cried for Edward. For the family I had thought of as my own. I cried out of fear, knowing that no one could find me out here. Nobody even knew where I was.

Then I was angry. Angry that Edward would leave me like this. Angry that he had broken his promise. Angry that they would all leave me like this. I got up off the ground, did my best to brush off the mud and grime and took a deep breath.

I yelled into the darkness. "ALICE! MARY ALICE BRANDON CULLEN!" Maybe she would see me if I called for her. "I HATE YOU! YOU WERE MY BEST FRIEND. MY SISTER. YOU LEFT ME. YOU DIDN'T EVEN SAY GOODBYE."

I raged some more. "EDWARD CULLEN. I HOPE YOU ARE SEEING THIS. I HOPE THAT YOU CAN HEAR EVERY WORD. I'M SORRY THAT I EVER MET YOU. I WISH YOU WOULD HAVE LET ME DIE. BEING SQUISHED BY A CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN THIS."

"ALL OF YOU! EACH AND EVERY ONE! I LOVED YOU! YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU! YOU MADE ME FEEL LIKE I WAS A PART OF YOUR FAMILY! BUT YOU LEFT ME! YOU LEFT ME HERE ALONE! YOU LEFT ME LIKE I WAS NOTHING! I guess that is what I was to you. Nothing. A play thing. I HOPE ALL OF YOU ROT IN HELL!"

My heart was pumping a mile a minute as I sank back to the ground. I rolled into a ball to try to conserve my body heat. What would Charlie think? Did he know I was in the woods? Did he think I left with the Cullens? As the minutes turned to hours, I had to believe that he would be looking for me. The rain beat against the canopy above but I stayed mostly dry, curling up in the underbrush for protection. The cold seeped through me and I began to shiver relentlessly. When I heard movement near me, fear gripped me. I looked through the dark to see what it was, not daring to breathe or move a muscle. No human would be here now.

I couldn't help but gasp when I saw the black paws close to me. Was this how I was going to meet my end? I survived a vampire attack but I'd die on a forest floor as some animal's lunch? When the paws moved away, I almost panicked. I was alone again.

It wasn't long before I heard a voice. His voice. "Bella," he called. "Bella Swan."

"I'm here," I called. My voice was horse from my screaming earlier and came out more like a squeak than anything.

"I've got you," he called. He moved the brush aside and that's when I saw him for the first time. Tall, dark, muscular and shirtless. "My name is Sam." He had said. "Can you stand up?"

"I don't know," I squeaked. Before I could even try he bent down and scooped me into his arms as though I weighed nothing.

"You're freezing," he said. "Let's start heading back. Charlie has been frantic."

"Okay," I said.

He hadn't moved more than a few steps when I figured out what he was.

"Of course," I said to myself.

"What?" Sam asked.

"You… the wolf," I whispered. "You're a wolf."

Sam stopped short and looked down at me. "What are you talking about?"

"Your legends. You are a wolf. You protect people from the cold ones."

"And how do you know anything about our legends?" he almost growled. "Did the Cullens' say something?"

"No," I said, looking up at him. "Jacob did."

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Why would Jacob say anything about our legends?"

"He was just telling me a story," I said. "Telling me why the Cullens didn't come to the reservation. I never gave it another thought. I mean I knew what the Cullens were but I never even thought…."

"But now you know?" he asked. "How do you figure that I'm a wolf?"

"I saw you," I told him. "Well I saw your paws at least, and it really is the only explanation why you were able to find me now."

"You're too smart for your own good," he growled softly.

"And you're really hot," I said, blushing instantly at what that could have implied.

"Thanks," he chuckled. "It's a wolf thing."

Sam started walking me back home. He told me more about the wolves and asked how I had managed to get so far into the woods. I told him how I had tried to follow Edward.

We became friends that night and when he invited me down to First Beach three days later he told me more about the wolves. I loved hanging out with him. I met Jared and Paul, who teased me mercilessly about my former status as a vampire's girlfriend. I attended a bonfire and heard the legends told by Billy Black. Sam and I hung out every day, and every day the hole that Edward and his family's departure had caused in my heart closed a little more.

A month after the Cullen's left, I met Sam's wolf for the first time. It had taken me three weeks of begging to get him to phase for me. He was certain that I would be scared. I wasn't.

That night he kissed me.

We were inseparable after that. Although my father was a little skeptical about our five year age difference, a fact I found hilarious considering Edward had been 90 years older than me, he saw how good Sam and I were together.

The wolf was let out of the bag when Sam and I had been together for 6 months. Quil and Embry had joined the pack a few months previously. On this night, Charlie and I had been invited to join Billy and Jake for dinner. Jacob, who had yet to show any of the signs that he was getting ready to phase, was not impressed.

He was rude, snarky, and generally just nasty throughout the evening. He made his dislike for my boyfriend well known, though Billy was quick to try to defend Sam. The shit hit the proverbial fan when Sam showed up to pick me up, as we had planned.

Jake began to tremble and shake the moment Sam walked through the door. Sam, noticing this, grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him out the back door. To say Charlie was incensed was an understatement. He went charging out the back after them, ignoring Billy's and my pleas to stop, and arrived just in time to see Jake grow paws and fur.

Billy filled in the blanks, and other than being a bit perturbed about the fact that I had dated a vampire and had kept the truth from him, he took it just fine.

Life was as close to perfect as it could be. I took on the role of pack mother, feeding the pack at least one meal a day. I enrolled at the local community college in Port Angeles and at the beginning of August, with my father's blessing, I had moved in with Sam.

Now, here we were, engaged.

"Let's have a bonfire next weekend to celebrate," he said.

"Can we?" I asked, excitedly.

"I can't think of a better reason to celebrate," he said.

But by Saturday, we had found a better reason to celebrate. I realized I was late on Wednesday. Sam, bless his heart, was completely overjoyed at the thought I could be pregnant. So much so, in fact, that he drove to Port Angeles to a 24 hour pharmacy to buy a test. We were going to be parents.

I spent most of the day Saturday preparing food for the bonfire that night. It wasn't only the wolf pack that would be in attendance, but pretty much everyone Sam knew. He was ecstatic.

The guys brought all the food down to the beach and set it up. Sam had been unable to keep the engagement and baby news to himself, thanks to the pack brain and all the wolves were extra protective of me and the cub, as they called the baby.

I was dressed casually, relishing being able to fit in my jeans for the time being and Sam actually put on a shirt for the occasion, a fact that I both loved and hated. He was hot, what can I say? It seemed most of the res had turned up, with easily 100 people mingling around two big bonfires.

Sam held my hand, the entire time, happily introducing me as his fiancé and telling anyone who would listen that we were going to be parents.

Unfortunately, I also knew the moment it happened. Imprinting. I had heard all about imprinting. I had been told that it wasn't an issue. There were only a few reported incidences of imprinting ever. I should have known. I should have been prepared.

I wasn't.

Sam saw her, Emily Young, Leah Clearwater's cousin, and he dropped my hand so fast it was like it was on fire. My heart shattered where I stood. I saw the way he looked at her, and I knew. I took a deep breath and turned away, walking back towards our house. He didn't even notice I was gone.

I walked quickly, hoping nobody would stop me. I was holding onto my emotions by a thread. I had to do this for him. I wouldn't cry. He deserved this. He deserved her.

"Bella?" Jake asked just as I thought I was clear from the group. "Are you okay?"

I opened my mouth to speak but there were no words.

"Bella?" he asked again, forcing me to turn and look at him. "What happened?"

"He… he… he imprinted," I whispered. The words feeling completely foreign on my tongue.

"He what?" Jake asked, his eyes wide with shock.

"Don't make me say it again," I begged him.

"Bella," he said. "You have to be wrong."

"I'm not," I whispered. "He imprinted on Emily…. Leah's cousin… It's over," I said.

"No," Jake said, looking at me. "We can fix this."

"No," I said. "You know as well as I do that this is absolute, Jake. I have to go. I want to be happy for him. I want… I'm trying, but I can't stay here." He looked at me in horror and nodded slowly. I did the hardest thing I had ever done. I pulled the ring off my finger and placed it in Jake's hand. "Give this to him. Tell him to be happy."

Jake hugged me and moved back, watching me walk to the house that I had shared with Sam for such a short time. The tears hit hard by the time I reached the house. I grabbed a small bag and took what clothes I could fit into it. I hopped into my truck and drove away.

I got to Port Angeles and pulled into one of the hotels. I didn't have anywhere else to go. I needed time to think. The next day, I called my mom. I told her about the baby, and that my fiancé and I had broken up. Thankfully she hadn't asked too many questions. She and Phil were in the financial situation to help me out, and though I didn't like it, I knew I needed it. Other than that, I spent my day in my room ignoring everything and everyone.

It was almost midnight when there was a knock on the hotel room door.

"Hello," I called out. Nobody, apart from my mother knew where I was.

"Bella," my dad called, making the tears which I had successfully buried reappear with a vengeance.

"Just a sec, Daddy," I called, wiping the tears away as I crossed the room to open the door. As soon as the door was open, my dad swung me up into his arms and held me tight to him.

"Why are you here?" he asked once he set me down. "What happened?"

"He imprinted Daddy," I said. "I saw it. I needed to leave. He deserves to be happy."

"And you don't?" my father choked out, looking horrified.

"I don't have a choice," I said. "I love him, but he isn't mine anymore. There is nothing I can do to fight it. You heard Billy, Dad. Nothing else in the world matters more to a wolf than his imprint."

"And the baby?" he asked, knowing I was right about the imprint.

"I don't know," I said. "I want him or her so much… but I don't know what role Sam will want to play, if any."

"He will stand by his child," my father growled, sounding very wolf like.

"Not if he doesn't want to," I said. "I won't let my child feel like a burden."

"You're going to be a good mom," my dad said, holding me close.

"Thank you," I said.

"And Sam will be there for the baby," my dad said. "We all saw how excited he was…"

"It's different now, Daddy," I said. "He isn't my Sam anymore. He's hers…. And if she doesn't want him to be tied to me or our child… he won't even try. No matter what he once wanted… she is his everything now. It's up to her now. He isn't mine." I burst into tears at the thought of Sam not being mine. One look and he was no longer mine.

"I'm so sorry, Honey," he said, pulling me into his arms again.

"It hurts so much, Daddy," I said, finally giving into the uncontrollable tears that I had been fighting since the night before. I don't know how long I cried, but my dad just held me. He slept in the bed next to me that night, refusing to leave me. The next morning, though it went against everything he wanted, he agreed to help me find a place to live in Port Angeles. He had wanted me to come home, to my old room, my old bed… The idea was appealing but it was too much. First Edward and then Sam. I needed to be away from all those memories. I needed to move on. I needed to focus on my future, my child's future.

My dad helped with a lot. He had Jake and the guys pack the rest of my stuff from Sam's place, and bring it to his place. Then he loaded it in his cruiser all and brought it to Port Angeles himself.

The place I rented was right close to the college. It was a small furnished two-bedroom place, but it was kind of perfect for just me and the baby. The baby. My baby. Sam's baby. If it hadn't been for the little person inside me, I think I might have just gone to bed and cried nonstop. My heart, which had been broken with Edward's departure, was shattered. I knew it wasn't Sam's fault, but that didn't stop the ache.

So I did what I thought was expected of me. I ate. I attended class. I slept. I cried. I avoided any and all connections to Forks and LaPush, except my dad. I even changed my cell phone number.

Two weeks after that horrific night, I had found a routine that worked for me. Tonight, after class, was my time to pick up the few groceries I would need for the week. I didn't count on running into Sam in one of the aisles.

"Bella," he said, sounding just as surprised as I was.

"Sam," I whispered, not able to find any more power behind my voice than that.

"You're here," he said.

"Yeah," I said.

"I thought… I assumed…. God, Bella… I'm so sorry," he said.

"I know," I said. "I'm sorry too."

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" he asked, looking around.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Sam," I said, tears starting to form in my eyes.

"Please," he begged.

"I can't," I said, as the tears started running down my cheeks. "I'm trying to be happy for you. I really am. But it hurts. It hurts so much. Please just go. Just be happy."

"Bella," he said, sounding just as broken as I felt.

"I love you Sam," I said. "I always will. But it hurts. It hurts more than I can bear."

"I need…" he started to say, but he dropped his head in defeat. "Try to be happy Bella. If I could take it back I would. I still love you too. I love our baby…"

"Please don't," I begged. "Please just walk away. Please! You aren't mine anymore. My brain knows that but my heart…. I can't. Please Sam."

He looked at me one last time and turned away taking the remainder of my heart with him. I stood there in the middle of the grocery store and cried. I didn't finish my shopping. I couldn't. I don't know how I made it home, but I did. I pulled myself into my bed and cried. Even with the baby it was too much. If it wasn't for my father, I think I would have probably stayed there forever. But he wouldn't let me. He forced me out of bed. He made me grilled cheese sandwiches and smoothies and practically force-fed me while I sat in a haze of pain.

At 11 weeks I had my first ultrasound. I got to see my baby for the first time. I cried. My chest seized painfully as I watched my little bean move across the screen. Then the tech pushed a button and the room was filled with the sound of my baby's heartbeat. It was exactly what I needed. The gentle thrumming of my child's heart soothed the ache in my heart momentarily. He or she was perfect and I would be better for him or her.

So I ate. I made sure my body had everything it needed to make sure my little bean was healthy. I worked hard at school, knowing that I needed something to be able to provide for us in the future. I still refused any contact with anyone from Forks or La Push. I didn't want to chance hearing anything about Sam and Emily. I was strong, but not that strong.

Most of my Forks and La Push friends had given up. All but Jacob Black and his dad, Billy. I think their attempts hurt most of all because Jake was a wolf, and because of that was extremely close to Sam. As the days, weeks and months passed, even they gave up. It probably had something to do with the fact that I couldn't even see them without bursting into tears. In fact as my hormones kicked into high gear, any mention of La Push or anyone there sent me into tears. My father avoided the topic completely.

The only time I was truly happy was when I would think about my little bean. He or she was obviously as stubborn as I was, as my little one was steadfastly refused to reveal his or her gender. My favorite time was when I would first lay down at night and he or she would move around in there causing my belly to wiggle and move. The worst was at my prenatal classes. Not only was I the only woman there without a partner attending with her, but I had to watch the proud fathers-to-be rubbing their partner's bellies or proudly conversing about impending fatherhood.

I finished my first year of college three weeks before my due date. My mother flew in that night and the next week was spent preparing for my little one's arrival. I had a bassinette, car seat, stroller, clothes, and enough diapers to get me through the first month. I hadn't set up any sort of nursery since my mother was staying in the second bedroom and I figured baby would just sleep in my room until he or she slept through the night anyways. She planned on staying until I had gotten the hang of motherhood, or until Phil needed her more. Her words not mine. My father, who had been a frequent visitor, stepped back a little after she arrived, but still called nightly.

My son came screaming into the world a few days later, a full ten days early. He was 9 pounds, 9 ounces and looked exactly like his father. The hours following his birth were the worst. I wanted Sam. I wanted the perfect life we had planned before the imprint.

I cried. I cried a lot. My dad looked at me sympathetically while trying to keep my mother at bay. My mother alternated between anger and frustration. And then it seemed that everyone was pushing me to give him a name. My mother was the worst, but the nurses and my dad both asked too.

A name. It should have been easy, but it wasn't. I knew what I wanted to name him, but I couldn't. Samuel. It wasn't mine to give. Emily should have the right to name their first child after him.

My mother wasn't all bad. She adored the baby and then she insisted I get a private room. I have to say, I was thankful for that because once I got to my room, my emotions became more of a rollercoaster. I was happy. I was sad. I was elated that he was here, and devastated that his father wasn't. I spent the afternoon alternating between crying and fawning over my son. I think both of my parents were relieved to leave that night. I know I was relieved to see them go. I didn't need judgment or pity. As soon as they were out the door, I lifted my sleeping son from his little plastic bed and cuddled him to my chest.

My heart thudded painfully. He was beautiful. He was perfect. He was mine. Only mine. I was so lost examining his perfect little features that I didn't even hear the door open. In fact I was so lost in my son, I didn't even notice there was another person in the room with me until he spoke.

"He looks like his dad."

I jumped, pulling my son tight against my chest and looked up to see Jake standing next to the bed.

"Yeah, he does," I said, not taking my eyes away from Jacob's imposing figure. He didn't smile. He didn't frown. He just looked at us. His eyes kept shifting between myself and the baby I now had cuddled to my chest. I couldn't figure out why he would look at us like that… unless… He was here for Sam, to show Sam what his son looked like because Emily was keeping him away. I took a deep breath, trying to be strong for Sam. I adjusted the baby in my arms to let Jake have a good look, even pulling the little beanie off of his head so Sam could see how much hair he had.

"You okay?" he asked, after staring a little more. "I mean with the baby and stuff. I hear it hurts."

"Yeah, just a little," I said, trying hard not to cry. If Sam was going to see this, I wouldn't cry. I wouldn't give him that guilt. He had a chance to be happy and I had to give him that.

"Look Bella," Jake said with a sigh. "I promised I'd stay out of it. I promised Sam that I wouldn't interfere. But I have to."

"What do you mean, interfere?" I asked, looking at him fearfully.

"Sam deserves a chance to know his boy," Jacob said firmly.

"That isn't up to me, Jake. If he wants to see him, he can. But I'm not the only one to consider. What does Emily say about it all?" I asked, trying to fight the tears that even thinking her name usually brought on.

"Nothing," he said.

"She has to have some opinion," I said, feeling confused.

"Nope," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Why not?" I asked angrily, pulling my son against my chest protectively. "Does she have a problem with Sam participating in his son's life or doesn't she?"

"I doubt she even knows he exists," Jake said.

"Sam never told her?" I asked incredulously, feeling incredibly hurt that neither of us were even mentioned to Emily. "I mean everybody knew. How could she not know?"

"They aren't together, Bella," Jake said, looking me right in the eyes. "Sam isn't with Emily."

"What?" I asked, looking at him, completely confused. Sam didn't have a choice. That was the one thing I knew for certain. If a wolf imprinted on someone, their whole world revolved around them.

"He's been fighting the imprint. Emily went back to Makah the next morning and she hasn't been back. She doesn't even know about any of this," Jake said.

"What?" I asked again. "No! Why?"

"Because Sam and his wolf love you," Jake said. "He chose you."

"He can't." I said, feeling panicked. I knew it had to hurt him to stay away from Emily and I couldn't understand why he would. "Why would he do that?"

"I'm not the one you need to ask," Jake said.

I was quiet for a long while. I placed my nose against my son's head, using his baby smell to calm me. I couldn't believe he would fight the imprint. But if Jake was telling the truth, and he really was, then he was fighting it for us and I hadn't done the same.

"I don't know what to do," I said, looking at Jake. The tears I had tried so hard to keep at bay were coming rushing to the surface. I swiped at my eyes quickly but it was a losing battle.

"Look Bella, you've gone through hell in all this. I get that. I saw you that night. I know. But you need to understand, so has Sam. Not only has the physical separation from Emily affected him, but losing you and the little guy was a million times worse. Even if you can't ever forgive him, he deserves a chance with that baby. He'll be a good dad to him."

Jake's statement threw me for a loop. Sam was fighting the imprint, the physical pull on his soul, and also hurting from our separation. My chest clenched knowing that Sam had felt that same pain I did, worse since he didn't have our son for constant company. Our son. And our son could possibly have the one thing I had dreamed of for him, a dad. His dad. The possibility swirled around my head like a tornedo. Sam did deserve that chance. I knew he did. And not only Sam, but our son. They deserved a chance to have a relationship, and even if Sam ended up failing to fight the imprint, he deserved the chance to at least try. I didn't know how long it took me to come to that realization, but when I did I was alone. Jake had walked out of the room and for the first time, the silence of the hospital seemed unbearable.

I knew that calling Sam could hurt me more.

"For you," I said to my son, placing a tiny kiss on is forehead. I held him against my heart as I grabbed the phone off of the side table. I sucked in a deep breath and dialed the still familiar number.

"Hello," Sam said when he picked up the phone. He sounded so tired. I hadn't even thought about what I was going to say to him and I panicked momentarily, completely losing my voice. "Hello," he said again.

"Hi," I finally managed to squeak out.

"Bella?" he asked incredulously, like he couldn't believe it was possible. "Bella, honey. Is that you?"

"Yeah," I said, taking a big gulp of air.

"Are you okay? Is the baby…." He trailed off.

"He needs his daddy," I said.

"He?" he asked. "Bella…"

"Jake was here," I said, sniffling.

He growled a very non-human growl. "I knew he wouldn't keep his nose…"

"Please," I said to him. "Can you come?"

"You want me to come?"

"Yeah."

"Jake didn't guilt you into this did he?" he asked.

"He told me some stuff. But I called you because your son deserves a chance to know his daddy. He needs you," I said. "We need you."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," he said. "I love you." He hung up the phone as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

"I love you too," I said into the dead receiver.

The car ride from La Push to Port Angeles usually takes an hour. I should have known Sam wouldn't have been patient enough to take a car. 15 minutes after we hung up, Sam was there in his trademark cutoffs with no shirt.

"Hey," he said as he walked into the room. I hadn't expected him so soon and was nursing the baby. I blushed and shifted to cover myself a little bit. I looked up at him, trying to be brave. He didn't need to see my bursting into tears the moment he laid eyes on me. So I looked at him, drinking up the peace that his presence in the room brought me. It was all I wanted. It seemed like forever since I'd last seen him, but the way my heart reacted to him was the same as always.

He looked tired and a slight sheen of sweat covered his dark skin, the way it always did when he had run hard in wolf form. He was breathtaking. Rugged, handsome, and standing in front of me for the first time in far too long. He was thinner than before and looked haggard. But still, he was here. Neither of us said anything for a long time, both content to just be in the same room.

"You came by wolf," I said, feeling myself smile slightly. This was our normal.

"It was the fastest way," he said, not peeling his eyes away from our son's form.

"Sam…" I said, starting to apologize.

"No," he said coming a little closer. "We don't need that."

"We do," I said, looking straight into his dark eyes. "I didn't give you the chance…. I ran… and even when you tried to talk to me…"

"Bella," he said, stepping closer. "I don't blame you. It was the way it had to be."

"But you fought it…. Jake said…." I said, confused. Had Jake been wrong?

"I did," he said. "I did fight it. But I didn't know if I would win. The pull was so strong…"

"Then why fight it?" I asked, tears in my eyes. "The imprint… She was perfect for you. You could have been happy. You wouldn't have been hurting. I don't understand."

"I would have been hurting. Bella the pull of the imprint… it was like a force sucking my insides out. But it was nothing. Nothing compared to watching you walk away that night, and knowing that you knew exactly what happened," he said. "Do you want to know where I went after that?"

"Okay," I said.

"I found Harry Clearwater and pulled him aside. I begged him to help me. I told him I had imprinted on Emily but that I didn't want it. I wanted you," he said.

Tears streamed down my face but I stayed quiet.

"He pulled me to the tribal office and opened the vault that housed all our tribal records, telling me if there was any way around it, it would be there. I stayed there for four days. I didn't sleep or eat. I growled at anyone that came near. Finally, Sue Clearwater stormed in and forced me out. She told me that I wouldn't do you or our baby any good if I didn't keep care of myself."

"Smart woman," I sniveled.

"She is. She was also the one who sent me to Port Angeles the day I saw you," he said.

"She was?" I asked.

"I think she was working with Charlie," he said.

"I wouldn't doubt that," I said.

"I love you, Bella. Seeing you that day… I had been getting so frustrated with the old texts. They were hard to understand and I wanted nothing more than to be with you but the pull to Emily was there too. I was such a mess that I almost phased in the office. She must have known I needed to see you," he said. "She sent me to get something for her... then I saw you…"

"I'm sorry," I said. "I probably made things harder."

"No," he said. "You made them clearer. I wanted you and our baby. My wolf wanted you and our cub. Emily was some supernatural screw up that I needed to get out of the way so that we could get back to you."

"Sam, I…"

"I love you Bella. Not because I have to. Not because of any magic or supernatural mumbo jumbo. I love you because of who you are. And I really love that you are the mother of my child. "

"But, I wouldn't even let you talk," I said, tears welling up in my eyes again.

"I went back to the books and I only paused to eat and sleep when necessary. I read every journal and account of the wolves from the beginning until the last tribe. Imprinting was more common than we had been led to believe. Most never mentioned it as more than a passing thing. They just accepted what it was, no matter what the cost. Some had wives or intendeds, but they never even tried to fight the imprint. They just followed the magic. I was so discouraged. Until I got to one old text, the account of Taha Aki's grandson. His father was the only living son of Taha Aki and his third wife."

"The wife who had sacrificed herself for the tribe," I said, remembering that story.

"He and his wife had four children when he met his imprint. Just like you, his wife recognized what had happened immediately. And, also like you, she sacrificed herself for his happiness, understanding the call of the imprint. But he refused. His imprint begged and pleaded with him to take her as his wife but he would not. He tried to stay close to his family, but the physical pain made him stay away. His wife tried to be strong, to want nothing more than his happiness, but his imprint wept for him, wanting the status that went with being a full imprint. Finally, when he couldn't take anymore, he went on a spirit quest, cleansing his body and soul. He prayed to be able to live his own life, and to love his own wife. He was gone so long that both his wife and imprint thought he had died. His imprint wailed and gnashed her teeth, crying how unfair the spirits had been to give her an imprint only to take him away from her. His wife mourned silently and went to build a fire near the beach. She and his children brought all the things that he would need in his next home. They burnt clothing and food to send to him. Then they prayed. That was where he found them. His wife threw herself in his arms when she saw him before pulling away to call his imprint. He refused and kissed her passionately. The pull of the imprint was gone and he lived happily with his wife until their end."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said.

"So you did a spirit quest?" I asked.

"I did," he said.

"How long?" I asked.

"Seven weeks," he answered, shocking me.

"And the pull is gone?" I asked, wanting to believe him more than anything.

"Completely," he said, though he looked nervous. "But I needed to be sure. So I took a trip yesterday with Harry, up to Makah."

"And?" I asked, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

"I had a lovely dinner with Emily, her family and her fiancé Mark," he said, smiling softly.

"It didn't hurt?" I asked him, praying he could really truly be mine again.

"It did," he said, making me gasp. "But not for the reason you think. I was jealous of them. They were together, blissfully unaware of any of the supernatural sh…crap, and yet the other part of my heart was a hundred miles away, alone and carrying my child."

"Sam…" I said, reaching my hand up for him. He didn't hesitate for a second, moving to grab my hand and bring it to his lips.

"As soon as I knew I wouldn't break your heart more than I already had, I was coming to fight for you."

"But…"

"But our son has either the best or worst timing in the world. The minute I was free to come to you, Billy called and told me that you were in labor," Sam said, looking down at the person in question. He was still suckling softly at my breast but the desperation that he had when he had begun was gone.

"I love you Bella," he said. "I fought for you. For both of you with everything I had."

"You did," I said. I was a complete blubbering fool by this point but Sam was still looking at me like I was the most beautiful thing in the world. "And you did it. You beat the imprint forever. Right?"

"I did," he said. "It's over.

"Thank God," I sobbed. He pulled me against his chest carefully and let me cry. When I had quieted some, he cleared his throat like there was something difficult he needed to say.

"Do you…" he asked. "Can you still love me?"

"Sam, I do love you," I said. "I never stopped." His smile was glorious as his eyes lit up.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked softly. "I need to feel you. To know this is real."

I nodded and wiped my face before licking my lips in anticipation. He leaned forward and touched his lips to mine gently. Of course, our child chose that moment to squirm and pull away from my breast, demanding acknowledgment from both of us. I shifted over in the bed, making room for Sam beside me. He hopped up and pulled me into his side. I leaned into him, content to feel his warmth next to me as I placed our son to my shoulder and began to burp him as the nurse had showed me.

"Thank you," he said, kissing my head. "Thank you for calling me tonight. Thank you for wanting me here. Thank you for our son. Thank you for loving me."

"Thank you for fighting for us, for not taking the easy road," I said to him. The baby chose that moment to let out a belch. Sam and I both laughed as I shifted our son off my shoulder.

"Do you want to hold him?" I asked. He nodded his head so I turned and placed him in his arm before leaning back against him. Sam's body trembled against me.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"My wolf is happy," he said. "He's happy to have you both with us again."

"Me too," I said, nestling into his chest staring at our baby nestled into his father's arm.

"He's so little," he said in awe.

"Not that little," I said. "He was almost ten pounds."

"Takes after his dad," Sam said, smiling widely.

"He looks like you too," I said, sleepily.

"Have you chosen a name?" he asked.

"I didn't…" I started to explain. "I couldn't name him."

"Why not?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"I didn't know if he was a boy or a girl until he got here," I explained. "And then… he looked so much like you I wanted to name him after you… but I didn't…."

"What Bella?" he asked.

"I didn't think that was my place anymore," I said. "I thought that if you and Emily ever had a child…"

"You are the only one I want. You are the only one I will ever love," he said, looking away from our son for a moment to look me in the eyes.

"But the imprint…" I argued. "What if you imprint again?"

"I found a way… The last pack found that if they marked their mate… that it bound them together, like imprinting."

"Marked them?" I asked

"A bite," he said, quietly. "My bite on you."

"And you'd never imprint again?" I asked.

"Never," he said. "But I have to tell you, Bella. There is a side affect for you too."

"What?" I asked.

"You'd be tied to me just as strongly," he said. "You couldn't just leave. You would be tied to me the same way that I'd be tied to you."

"Please," I said to him. "I want that. I want that more than anything."

"Soon," he replied. "I want it too. You are my forever."

"Thank you," I said, feeling suddenly at peace.

"So you want to name him Samuel?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, looking at him. "What do you think?"

"Not my middle name. That was after my father and he will have no place in our son's name or life," he said, smiling.

"What about Samuel Charles?" I asked, thinking of my own dad.

"I think that is perfect," he said, looking down at our son. "What do you think Sammy?"

I fought to stay awake, but the exhaustion from the day and the peace I felt with Sam's presence made it too hard.

"Promise you won't leave if I fall asleep," I begged him.

"Never," he said. "I am here until you order me away."

He shifted Sammy into his little plastic crib and pulled me into his side, where sleep found me quickly. I was woken once by Sammy and once by a nurse, but other than that, I didn't wake until the sunlight streamed through the window. I was on my side with my head on Sam's chest. It wasn't a dream.

Sammy was in his little hospital crib and was moving an arm around that he had somehow managed to free from his swaddling blanket.

"Hi, little boy," I whispered, pulling myself away from Sam. I slid out of the bed, conscious of the ache in my entire body. After checking on Sammy I took care of business in the bathroom before picking Sammy up and returning to the bed to snuggle into Sam with our son on my chest.

"Please tell me this isn't s dream," Sam said sleepily.

"If it is, I'm having the same one," I told him.

"I want to wake up like this for the rest of our lives," he said.

"That might be difficult when Sammy is a teenager," I said.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said. "As long as you're next to me, I can manage."

"I think that can be arranged," I said, as I adjusted myself to feed Sammy.

He finally opened his eyes and looked at me with a lazy smile. "I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to do it."

"What?" I asked, feeling concerned again.

"I want you both to come home with me when you get out of here. I know you have an apartment and a life here, but I don't know how I can be without you."

"Sam," I started to say.

"I would stay with you here," he said. "But the pack… I need to be there for them too. I…"

"Sam," I said again.

"I know it's too soon after everything. I know I have to earn your trust again. But I don't want to wake up without you next to me ever again," he said.

"Sam," I said again, more forcefully.

"Yes," he said, looking at me.

"I want to come home," I said.

"To La Push," he clarified.

"To La Push," I affirmed.

"But what about everything here?" he asked.

"I didn't have a life without you," I said to him. "I may return to school one day, but I have everything I need right here. As long as I have you and Sammy, I have everything."

"Me too," he said pulling us tighter to him and watching our son eat.

When my mother arrived an hour later, Sam and I were snuggled on the bed with a clean baby snuggled contently on his father's bare chest. Sammy's skin was a little lighter than Sam's but they looked so right together.

"I don't need to ask who you are," was my mother's first frosty comment.

"I'm Sam Uley, Mrs. Dwyer," Sam said, introducing himself.

"I know," she said, her distain for him completely evident. "My grandson looks like you."

"Mom!" I said, sitting up and glaring at her. She didn't know about all the supernatural stuff at play, and I didn't need her making things more difficult for any of us. She glared at me.

"So what? He's back? All is forgiven?" she asked me.

"We're working on it," I told her.

"He doesn't even talk to you for months and you're just ready to take him back? Did I raise you to be so needy?"

"Mom!" I said, feeling myself tear up. Sam growled softly, upset that my mother was bringing me to tears. "There were misunderstandings on both sides."

"So how many women have you been with while my daughter was pregnant with your child?" she asked.

"None," Sam growled. "Mrs. Dwyer, I love your daughter and our son with every fiber of my being. I had some family problems that needed to be taken care of before I could be with her and with our son. But make no mistake, I am here now and will be until she orders me away."

"Pretty words," she said, crossing her arms.

"And the only way I can prove myself is by being there for them both for the rest of their lives," Sam said. "And I plan to do that."

My mother didn't say anymore but, if looks could kill….

I expected more of the same from my father. He was obviously shocked when he walked in and saw Sam, but he was much more supportive.

"Sam," he had said. "Surprised to see you here."

"I understand, Chief," Sam said.

"Did you just pop by or are you here for the long haul?" he asked Sam, though his eyes were focused completely on me, trying to gauge my feelings.

"I'm here until she orders me away," Sam said, brushing his fingertips across my cheek.

"Bells?" he asked, needing my confirmation.

"We have things to work on," I said, pulling Sam's hand into mine. "But we're going to work on them together.

"Good," he said, smiling.

"Charlie!" my mother had gasped outraged that he had just accepted Sam's reappearance so easily.

"She's a grown woman with a good head on her shoulders," he said, to her. "I'm not going to make things more difficult on either one of them."

"And what about when he walks out on them again?" she asked him angrily.

"He won't," my father said with certainty.

"You can't know that Charlie," she said, crossing her arms.

"I do," Charlie said, crossing his arms and glaring right back at her.

"And if he does?" she challenged.

My father smirked before answering her. "I'd shoot him like a dog."

I burst into laughter and Sam followed. Charlie even joined in. My mother huffed and crossed her arms. When the doctor came to check in on us later, my father almost physically dragged my mom out of the room, with promises of visiting a baby store to get Sammy an appropriate going home outfit, leaving Sam and I to talk to the doctor alone.

When they returned, I was out of my hospital issued gown and in a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt. My mother handed me the bag from the baby store which contained a little baseball outfit.

"It's perfect," I said, giving her a hug.

"You're going back to La Push, aren't you?" she asked.

"I am," I told her cautiously.

"He makes you happy?" she asked.

"He does," I promised.

"And he's going to take care of you both?" she asked.

"I will," Sam answered.

"You'd better," she said.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" I asked, knowing there was more to my mother's sudden change of heart.

"I'll always be here for you," she said.

"But?" I asked.

"Phil broke his leg in a game," she replied. "He needs me… and you have Sam."

"I do," I said, hugging her.

"You take care of them Sam Uley," my mother said to Sam.

"I promise," he said.

"Call me anytime," she said to me. "And send me lots of pictures of Sammy."

"I will," I promised.

"And I'll get the skype so we can talk all the time," she promised.

"Okay," I laughed at her.

She spent a few minutes kissing and snuggling Sammy before heading out. My father just shook his head and snorted as she pranced out of the room.

"I'm driving her to the airport," he said.

"Thanks, Dad," I said.

"You two have a ride home?" he asked.

"Jake's bringing the truck," Sam said.

"Good," my dad said. "And Sam…"

"Yes, Chief?" Sam responded.

"I really will shoot you if you break her heart again," he said, walking out of the room before Sam had a chance to respond.

EPILOGUE

It seemed like I had barely laid my head down when a cry came through the baby monitor.

"I'll get her," Sam said, kissing my cheek.

"Kay," I mumbled.

He came back a few minutes later with the still unhappy baby.

"She's hungry again," he said.

"Of course she is," I replied moving into position to nurse our seven-week-old daughter. "She is your child."

He chuckled softly and laid her in position next to me. I had gotten really good at the baby feeding business. Since Sam missed most of my first pregnancy he seemed to be making up for lost time.

True to his word, he marked me the first chance he got, six weeks after Sammy was born. Apparently the mark had the added benefit of increased fertility as I was already pregnant again by the time Sam and I got married. Sammy was only four months old.

Lucas William was born two weeks before Sammy turned one. You'd figure with two babies, that we'd slow things down a bit. I was pregnant again within six months, this time bringing twins into our family. Matthew Adam and Noah Philip were, we thought, the final additions to our family.

But, even having four boys within three years wasn't enough. Sammy, Luke, Matt and Noah were, 4, 3 and 2, when Benjamin Michael joined the crew. Five boys under five. Charlie was set with fishing buddies for life. A fact that he was thrilled about.

Sam volunteered to go for the royal snip, take one for the team, head for the chop shop, otherwise known as have a vasectomy. Wolf physiology being what it was, brings us to back to present with little Rebecca Elizabeth Uley.

As Becca focused on her meal, Sam snuggled in behind us holding me close. Once Becca was finished, he climbed out of bed and burped her as he returned her to her crib. He was back in moments, pulling me into his warm embrace.

"I love you," he told me as he started to drift off to sleep. I focused on the feel of his arms wrapped around me as his breathing evened out and sleep claimed him. I was certain that it was a wolf thing, but he could go from wide awake to fast asleep in seconds. It was also true in reverse, and he'd go from sound asleep to wide awake just as quickly. He and the pack all still phased, though they didn't have to patrol as much. There had been no vampire activity since the Cullens left. In a lot of ways Edward had been right. It had been like they never existed.

"Thank you, Edward," I whispered into the night. He had been my first love, and I thought back on my time with him fondly. If it hadn't been for him I may never have found Sam, and I wouldn't trade my time with him for anything. I loved Sam with my whole heart. I wasn't his imprint, that fact would never change. But what I was, was even better. I was chosen.


End file.
